This application is based on application No. 81514/2000 filed in Japan on Mar. 23, 2000, the content of which incorporated hereinto by reference.
This invention relates to portable electric equipment such as a portable telephone, and in particular to portable electric equipment provided with an input/output (I/O) connector in its case.
Portable electric equipment such as a portable telephone is provided with an I/O connector to connect with external equipment. Further, in battery carrying portable electric equipment, charging terminals for charging the battery can be included on the I/O connector to make the connector section compact. FIGS. 1 through 3 show the structure of an installed I/O connector with charging terminals As shown in these figures, prior art portable electric equipment have an I/O connector 13 fixed to a printed circuit board 4. The I/O connector 13 has charging terminals 14 and signal terminals 15 provided on its backside. The backside terminals are connected to the printed circuit board 4 via leads 16. In addition battery pack connecting terminals 12 are fixed to the printed circuit board 4 to connect with battery terminals 5 of a battery pack 2. These battery pack connecting terminals 12 are connected with the I/O connector 13 via conducting metals runs 17 on the printed circuit board 4 and via the leads 16.
In connecting the battery pack and I/O connector of prior art portable electric equipment having the structure described above, the battery pack connecting terminals are configured to push vertically onto the printed circuit board for attachment to the board. This has the drawback that unused dead-space is created both inside the case and the battery pack. This dead-space makes it difficult to reduce the size of the case.
Further, in portable electric equipment having the structure described above, the I/O connector and battery pack connecting terminals are joined via printed circuit board conducting metal runs and by leads. If contact conditions degrade, this has the drawback that contact resistance problems can easily arise. This is because battery pack connecting terminals are joined with the I/O connector by solder junctions in at least three places. Wiring to supply the battery pack with charging current is subject to much larger current flow than I/O connector wiring for signal transmission. Consequently, if contact resistance increases due to a poor connection, normal battery charging can become impossible.
Still further, in portable electric equipment having the structure described above, it is necessary to attach the battery pack connecting terminals to the printed circuit board, and it is also necessary to connect the charging terminals provided on the backside of the I/O connector to the printed circuit board via the leads. This has the additional drawback that manufacturing is complex.
The present invention was developed to resolve all these types of problems with a single innovation. Thus, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide battery carrying portable electric equipment in which unused dead-space in both the case and battery pack can be reduced, and the portable electric equipment can be made small, lightweight, and at low cost.
The above and further objects and features of the invention will more fully be apparent from the following detailed description with accompanying drawings.
The battery carrying portable electric equipment of the present invention is provided with a case, a battery pack housed in the case, and an I/O connector which is exposed outside the case and has charging terminals. The I/O connector is accessible inside the case and has connecting terminals to contact the battery terminals of the battery pack housed in the case. The portable electric equipment houses the battery pack with its battery terminals in direct contact with the connecting terminals of the I/O connector.
This battery carrying portable electric equipment has the characteristic that unused dead-space in both the case and battery pack can be reduced and it can be made small, lightweight, and at low cost. This is because the portable electric equipment of the present invention is provided with an I/O connector having connecting terminals accessible from inside the case for contact with battery pack terminals, and the terminals of the battery pack housed in the case are put in direct contact with the connecting terminals of the I/O connector. In portable electric equipment allowing direct connection of battery pack terminals and I/O connector connecting terminals, dead-space inside the case and battery pack can be reduced. This allows miniaturization and light weight fabrication to be realized.
Further, in the portable electric equipment described above, battery pack connecting terminals are not routed along printed circuit board conducting metal runs or along leads as in prior art technology. Since battery pack terminals are directly connected to the I/O connector, this portable is electric equipment has the characteristics that manufacturing complexity can be reduced, it can be inexpensively produced, and contact resistance problems can be effectively prevented. In particular, since large currents flow through wiring which supplies a battery pack with charging current, drastic reduction in contact resistance problems has the feature that the battery pack can be properly charged and discharged and safely used over long periods.
Preferably, the I/O connector is fixed to a printed circuit board housed in the case of the portable electric equipment of the present invention, and the I/O connector is provided with connecting terminals extending out from its backside. Battery terminals disposed on the plane of the battery pack, which is housed in the case and oriented parallel to the printed circuit board, contact the connecting terminals of the I/O connector.